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School's Out, Now What for Kids?

On beautiful Thursday afternoon, hundreds of kids and their families were enjoying the 39th annual Rotary Kids Fishing Contest.

School is out on the Range, and it was a great, free activity for everyone.

But there are challenges for parents in finding other places for kids, now that they don't attend class.

"We plan on going to the libraries, and the beach once the water warms up. But it is hard to find things all of the time," said Jill Clapsaddle, a mom of three kids.

Nicole Long was at the contest with her three. "It's summer, so you try and do as many fun things with the kids. But I work part time, and my husband works full time, so we are running all of the time. Two of my boys are in baseball, so we're often going in opposite directions. It's called divide and conquer at our house," she added with a laugh.

The Apple Tree Learning Center in Virginia is fielding five or six calls a week right now, with parents looking for childcare options, now that school is out.

"We work with other programs, like Chicagami, but space is a challenge. If families don't feel comfortable with where their kids are, they can't give 100% to their employer. So we try and be that secure place," Steve Johnson explained. He's the Executive Director of Apple Tree, which does take kids specifically for summer months. Apple Tree has about 150 kids enrolled, with 60 or so a day attending.

"I wish there were more options for families in the Quad Cities," Johnson said.

There's a list of dozens of activities for kids across Duluth. You can find it at:

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